"Driving it away is one thing, fine. But to actually take it down, we'll need several times our current firepower. More importantly... if it escapes before we can inflict enough damage, we'll be left high and dry."
"Even the Hellfire wasn't as effective as we'd hoped, so we need something stronger... The problem is, most high-powered weapons require helicopter deployment, but the sandstorm makes that risky... Kuhuhu, maybe it wouldn't be so bad to just drag one over from HQ."
Sensei's party and Binah's first engagement could be considered a success, in a way.
However, the information they gathered fell short of expectations.
In other words, they hadn't gained much of substance.
"Could it be equipped with some kind of self-repair function...?"
"...That level of technology seems impossible, but given that sightings have been reported for decades, we can't just dismiss it. We can't be the only ones who have tried to take this thing down over all those years."
"Ah, I'd also like to cast a vote for a self-repair function. For a mechanical beast that's been around for decades, its outer armor is just too clean."
While the RABBIT Platoon members and Ayane were engaged in a heated discussion, Hoshino was sprawled out on the sofa, blankly fiddling with her phone. Sensei, who had been sitting in a chair next to her, lost in thought, finally spoke.
"I'm sorry, Hoshino."
"Hm? Sensei, what's with the sudden apology?"
"If my command had been a little cleaner, the other three wouldn't have been injured."
"What's this? Don't get down over something like that, Sensei. Your command was flawless. This old man is more surprised that you were able to coordinate the situation at all while that thing was in the middle of a physical assault."
Remembering that all the Foreclosure Task Force members except for Ayane and herself were currently resting in the nurse's office, Hoshino blinked and then grinned.
"Oh, is that it? Looks like you thought this old man was moping because her juniors got hurt... Don't you worry, they'll be up and running around after a day of rest. It wouldn't even be strange if Shiroko-chan came running out this evening."
Reflecting on the battle with Binah, Hoshino scratched her cheek. For a first real battle—and one against a giant, unidentified monster at that—Sensei's command had been unbelievably stable, and his fluid response to the changing situation was also excellent.
The only reason the other Foreclosure Task Force members were resting was because they had been caught up in Binah's movements. In fact, Saki and Miyako weren't much different in that regard.
The only reason Hoshino had avoided taking any effective hits was thanks to her shield; Binah's movements were far more threatening than they had imagined.
From Sensei's perspective, the claims of the RABBIT Platoon, who were trying to organize the intel they'd gathered after being slammed by a mechanical beast the size of a skyscraper, and the Foreclosure Task Force students, who said they'd recover with just a little rest, were simply dumbfounding.
In truth, it was an unnecessary worry, but for Sensei, who had just experienced his first real battle, it was a concern not easily set aside.
"Uhe~ Anyway, about that title of 'best sniper.' I didn't think she'd be the real deal with absolutely no exaggeration. The first shot after your command was one thing, but to think she'd manage to land two more while that thing was thrashing about. I wonder if she has any plans to transfer to Abydos~?"
"M-Me? I... I mean..."
"Miyu is an irreplaceable member of our squad, Hoshino-ssi. We absolutely cannot give her up."
"Darn, that's a shame. If you ever change your mind, you're always welcome, so just say the word, okay?"
Hoshino, who had been attempting to recruit her with words that were half-joke and half-serious, closed her eyes and went limp again.
Just as Hoshino had predicted, Shiroko came bolting out of the nurse's office the moment evening came.
***
The first thing I saw upon waking up was...
"Wo—w."
Surprisingly, it was Hina's horn. That menacing thing was asserting its presence somewhere it really shouldn't be.
Hmm, it really makes me feel like I should stick a tennis ball on it whenever she sleeps.
I couldn't see Hina's face, perhaps because she was using the area from my shoulder to my arm as a pillow, but the steady breathing tickling my chest suggested she was sound asleep.
I had been wondering why it felt a bit chilly, and seeing the blanket was half off, I pulled it up and over us. I stayed still so as not to wake her, and that's when I suddenly felt something was off.
This familiar feeling of parched lips.
...No, it can't be. There's no way my Hina would do that.
There's no way.
All the clues connected, and it felt like a missing puzzle piece had just clicked into place.
Mika's words, and the fact that my lips had felt strange every time I woke up while staying at Hina's house... it was because...
"Wo—w..."
Realizing the most secret secret of a girl who seems so pure and craves love brings about a truly strange feeling. So *this* is why Mika threw such a fit, saying she'd absolutely never take her body back when I offered.
It's too late now, so there's nothing to be done, but I don't think anything would have changed even if I had realized it back then. I wasn't disappointed in Hina for this, nor did I have the right to be, but realizing that what I thought was our first kiss actually wasn't filled me with a complex mix of emotions.
No wonder she seemed so experienced for a first-timer.
What's past is past, so rather than bringing it up to Hina now, I decided to save it as ammunition for teasing her far in the future.
...Wait a minute. Come to think of it, wasn't Ako there at the time, too? Since Ako is unconditionally on Hina's side, it's safe to say she was an accomplice. How absurd to only realize this months later.
I let Hina's hair slip through my fingers, lost in thought. After playing with the flowing strands for a moment, I placed my hand near her back.
I wanted to let Hina sleep more, but I had things to do today.
To think Hina would volunteer to do something so troublesome on a day like today. And for my sake, no less.
My hand slid down her smooth back, reaching her waist. Then I raised it again, repeating the motion. After a while, Hina's eyelids began to flutter. Her halo slowly materialized, revealing its presence.
"..."
Hina, in a daze, opened her eyes and silently snuggled closer to my body. Watching her take a deep breath, inhaling the scent of my skin, made me feel strangely embarrassed by the situation.
"Sleep well, Hina-chan?"
"...Just a little longer, let's stay like this."
"Hmm..."
I'd turned off my alarm so I couldn't tell the time, but a little while should be fine.
As I gently stroked Hina's head with one hand, a familiar sensation spread from my collarbone.
"...Ah."
The way Hina was clinging to me, her arms wrapped tightly around my waist, somehow felt like it was leading to a second round. I traced her neck with my fingertips and tilted her chin up, and her usual sharp eyes, now hazy and clouded, greeted me.
"Hina-chan, any more than this and we can't... we have things to do. There will be plenty of 'next times' from now on, so let's hold back today, okay?"
I gave her a sweet smile after placing a light kiss on the bridge of her nose and was about to go back to stroking her hair. But what I got in return was a surprise kiss from Hina.
Without a moment's hesitation, the kiss deepened in an instant; it was less a kiss and more a one-sided conquest. Perhaps because she was still half-asleep, Hina was truer to her desires than usual and sought to dominate me, quite literally.
A dizzying pleasure made my toes curl. It wasn't just from the kiss, but from the satisfaction that came from Hina being so proactive, which amplified the pleasure.
"*Mmph... haah...* It's all your fault, Mika..."
"Heh...?"
"Mika... when I see you getting flustered because of me, my heart pounds like crazy. I, I just wanted to be loved by you... but you're the one who taught me this strange feeling, so... so you have to take responsibility, don't you...?"
Hina's flushed face drew close once again. The sense of perversion that came from entrusting everything to the hands of a girl smaller, weaker, and more delicate than me was overwhelmingly intense.
As the kiss began anew, Hina's arm, which had been around my waist, moved down to grip my backside. I didn't feel pleasure from the act itself, but the story changed slightly the moment Hina's leg began to move.
My head was spinning. I knew I shouldn't let this happen, but Hina's touch, her warmth, her scent, they all ensnared me. In the end, I surrendered everything to this lovely demon, who was now consumed with the thought of devouring me.
It was impossible to refuse, a truly devilish temptation.
"...Happy birth— *mmph*."
I don't even know anymore. Whatever happens, happens.
Just as Nagisa said, morning is an extension of the night.
***